Les troyens

“For the last three years I have been tormented by the idea of a vast opera for which I would write both the words and the music…” In 1856 Hector Berlioz finally started work on The Trojans—the five-act operatic epic inspired by Virgil’s Aeneid that would be his last stage work, the summation of an entire career. With more than 20 named characters, The Trojans is a sprawling musical vision of The Trojan war and its aftermath. In Part I, “The Capture of Troy”, we witness brutal warfare and Greek victory over the Trojans. In Part II, “The Trojans at Carthage”, we follow Aeneas to Carthage, where he must choose between his sacred duty to found a new Troy and his love for Queen Dido. Bewildering in scope and variety, overflowing with ballets, choruses, a symphonic interlude and spectacular set-pieces—a storm, a hunt, dances, rites and love scenes—alongside fiercely demanding arias and ensembles, The Trojans is a widescreen musical spectacle that never forgets the power of the close-up. The subtle psychological shifts of Dido’s suicide scene, Cassandra’s anguished warning and the slow-unfolding love declarations in Act IV all add up to a gripping musical drama. Berlioz died in 1869 without ever hearing a complete performance of an opera whose tepid initial reception has since blazed hot, establishing The Trojans as one of the greatest and most ambitious stage works of the 19th century.